Cord Blood News Volume 2.19 | May 20 2010

May 12, 2022

Cord Blood News 2.19, May 20, 2009.

In this issue: Science News | Current Publications | Industry News | Policy News | Events

Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improve Neuropathology and Cognitive Impairment in an Alzheimer’s Disease Mouse Model Through Modulation of Neuroinflammation
Researchers suggest that human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells produced their sustained neuroprotective effect by inducing a feed-forward loop involving alternative activation of microglial neuroinflammation, thereby ameliorating disease pathophysiology and reversing the cognitive decline associated with amyloid-beta peptide deposition in Alzheimer’s disease. [Neurobiol Aging]

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CURRENT PUBLICATIONS

Mesenchymal Stem Cells Provide Better Results Than Hematopoietic Precursors for the Treatment of Myocardial Infarction
Mesenchymal stem cells might be more effective than CD34+ cells from umbilical cord blood for the healing of the infarct. This study elucidates the mechanisms by which these cell types operate in the course of myocardial infarction treatment. [J Am Coll Cardiol]

Transplantation of Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Adult T-Cell Leukemia: A Nationwide Retrospective Study
Researchers compared outcomes of 386 patients with adult T-cell leukemia who underwent allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation using different graft sources: 154 received HLA-matched related marrow or peripheral blood; 43 received HLA-mismatched related marrow or peripheral blood; 99 received unrelated marrow; 90 received single unit unrelated cord blood. [Blood]

Quantitative Proteomics Analysis of the Nuclear Fraction of Human CD4+ Cells in the Early Phases of IL-4 Induced Th2 Differentiation
This unique dataset from human cord blood CD4+ T cells details an extensive list of protein determinations that compares with and complements previous data determined from the Jurkat cell nucleus. [Mol Cell Proteomics]

Graft-versus-Leukemia Antigen CML66 Elicits Coordinated B-Cell and T-Cell Immunity after Donor Lymphocyte Infusion
Researchers examined responses developing against CML66, an immunogenic antigen preferentially expressed in myeloid progenitor cells identified from a patient with chronic myelogenous leukemia who attained long-lived remission following CD4+ donor lymphocyte infusion. [Clin Cancer Res]

Transient Chromosomal Rearrangements in Three Children with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after Unrelated Cord Blood Transplantation
Stem cell transplantation (SCT) such as bone marrow transplantation or cord blood transplantation is an effective therapy for hematological malignancies. Nevertheless, there are still serious problems associated with SCT, such as secondary malignancy and relapse. [Bone Marrow Transplant]

Regulation of Chondrogenesis by Transforming Growth Factor-Beta3 and Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 from Human Mesenchymal Umbilical Cord Blood Cells
Transforming growth factor-beta3 used in micromass culture is the best growth factor for promoting the proliferation and differentiation of mesenchymal cells from umbilical cord blood during chondrogenesis. [J Rheumatol]

Microporation Is a Valuable Transfection Method for Efficient Gene Delivery into Human Umbilical Cord Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Researchers applied microporation technology as a novel electroporation technique to introduce enhanced green fluorescent protein and brain-derived neurotropfic factor plasmid DNA into human umbilical cord blood-derived MSCs with significant efficiency. [BMC Biotechnol]

The Effect of Human Cord Blood Therapy on The Intestinal Tract of Lethally Irradiated Mice: Possible Use for Mass Casualties
Red cell-depleted cord blood transfusions combined with antibiotic treatment contribute to bone marrow and gastrointestinal recovery in high dose-irradiated mice, and may be an available therapy for mass casualties during radiological emergencies. [Int J Radiat Biol]

Peripheral Blood Stem Cell versus Bone Marrow Transplantation from HLA-Identical Sibling Donors in Patients with Leukemia: A Propensity Score-Based Comparison from the Japan Society for Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Registry
Overall survival was significantly lower after peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) in standard-risk patients, but not in high-risk patients. PBSCT was associated with significant risks of grade III–IV acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and extensive chronic GVHD. [Int J Hematol]

Generation of Functional CD8+ T Cells by Human Dendritic Cells Expressing Glypican-3 Epitopes
Glypican 3 (GPC-3) is an oncofoetal protein that is expressed in most hepatocellular carcinomas. Since it is a potential target for T cell immunotherapy, researchers investigated the generation of functional, GPC-3 specific T cells from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). [J Exp Clin Cancer Res]

INDUSTRY NEWS

Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine, Genzyme Enter into Strategic Partnership
The strategic partnership between Tianjin International Joint Academy of Biotechnology and Medicine and Genzyme will help quickly and successfully bring the company’s innovative drugs to China, promoting innovation and development of the Chinese biopharmaceutical industry. [PR Newswire Press Release]

The New York Stem Cell Foundation Receives $27 Million Grant from Robertson Foundation to Promote Stem Cell Research
The New York Stem Cell Foundation has received a grant of $27 million from the Robertson Foundation, established by Julian and Josie Robertson. [The New York Stem Cell Foundation Press Release]

Geron Announces Positive Study Data on GRNCM1
Geron Corporation reported positive preclinical study data showing that GRNCM1, Geron’s cardiomyocyte product derived from human embryonic stem cells, does not cause cardiac arrhythmias after transplantation into a model of chronic heart damage designed to test this potential safety concern. [Geron Corporation Press Release]

United States FDA Clears Phase 2 Trial for Cervical Spinal Fusion
Australia’s regenerative medicine company, Mesoblast Limited, announced that it has received clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to begin Phase 2 clinical trials of its “off-the-shelf” or allogeneic stem cell product NeoFuse™ for fusion of the cervical spine in the neck. [Mesoblast Limited Press Release]

ImmunoCellular Therapeutics and Torrey Pines Institute Identify Peptides Which Show Potential To Generate Cancer Stem Cell Specific Immune Responses
ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. announced that the Company and Torrey Pines Institute for Molecular Studies in San Diego, CA have identified several peptides which can generate CD-133 specific T-cells. CD-133 is found in high abundance on cancer stem cells which makes it promising for immunological targeting. [ImmunoCellular Therapeutics, Ltd. Press Release]

Cord Blood America Names Business Development Director
Cord Blood America, Inc. announced that Lea Ann Stiller, whose daughter’s life was saved with the first collection of umbilical cord blood stem cells for a bone marrow transplant, has been named Director of Business Development for the Company. [Cord Blood America, Inc.]

Johns Hopkins to Unveil Center for Biotechnology Education
The Johns Hopkins University’s Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Advanced Academic Programs, will unveil the Center for Biotechnology at its fifth annual biotechnology research symposium. [Johns Hopkins’ Center for Biotechnology Education Press Release]

POLICY NEWS

House Nixes More Research Spending in COMPETES Bill
Catching the Democratic leadership by surprise, members voted 292 to 126 to block passage of a 5-year authorization bill that would have provided healthy increases in the research and education budgets of the National Science Foundation and research programs at the Department of Energy and the Department of Commerce. [House of Representatives, United States]

United States Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Sebelius Announces $1 Billion in NIH Recovery Act Awards to Construct or Improve Biomedical Research Facilities
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced one billion dollars of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds have been awarded to construct, repair and renovate scientific research laboratories and related facilities across the country. [National Institutes of Health, United States]

European and International Experts Discuss the Way Forward in Stem-Cell Research and Development
The European Medicines Agency assembled for the first time European and international experts from academia, regulatory authorities and pharmaceutical industry to review opportunities and difficulties in developing stem cell–based therapies and to discuss regulatory challenges. [European Medicines Agency, European Union]

EU Agency Prepares to Assess First Stem Cell Drug
The first regenerative medicine based on stem cells could be filed for approval in Europe later this year, bringing the groundbreaking medical technology a step closer to reality. [European Medicines Agency, European Union]

Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and NIH Director Francis Collins Regarding the President’s Intent to Appoint Dr. Harold Varmus as Director of the National Institute of Cancer at the National Institutes of Health [Department of Health and Human Services, United States]

Notice of Intent to Publish Request for Applications for the Clinical Proteomic Technologies for Cancer Initiative (CPTC): Proteome Characterization Centers (NOT-CA-10-027) [National Institutes of Health, United States]

EVENTS

16th Annual International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT) Meeting
May 23-26, 2010
Philadelphia, United States

Stem Cell Investor & Executive Networking Conference Event (S.C.I.E.N.C.E.)
June 1, 2010
New York, United States

8th Annual International Umbilical Cord Blood Transplantation Symposium
June 3-5, 2010
San Francisco, United States

International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) 8th Annual Meeting
June 16-19, 2010
San Francisco, United States

Select Biosciences World Biobanking Summit
August 24-25, 2010
Edinburgh, Scotland

International Society for Hematology and Stem Cells (ISEH) 2010 Meeting
September 15-18, 2010
Melbourne, Australia

AABB (formerly known as the American Association of Blood Banks) Annual Meeting & Cellular Therapy and Transfusion Medicine Expo (CTTXPO) 2010
October 9-12, 2010
Baltimore, United States

52nd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting and Exposition
December 4-7, 2010
Orlando, United States

Visit our events page to stay up to date with the latest events in the cell, gene and immunotherapy community.